Gold Star Families Seek Answers and Accountability Two Years After U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan

As the United States commemorates the second anniversary of its withdrawal from Afghanistan, Gold Star families, who lost loved ones in the conflict, are demanding transparency and accountability from the nation’s leaders.

The messy withdrawal from Afghanistan has been a focal point of criticism for Republicans, with Gold Star families voicing their concerns. In August, at a roundtable hosted by the GOP-led House Foreign Affairs Committee, these families called on President Joe Biden and his administration to provide answers regarding the circumstances of their loved ones’ deaths.

Kelly Barnett, the mother of Marine Staff Sgt. Darin “Taylor” Hoover, who was one of 13 service members killed in a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate outside Kabul’s airport, described the withdrawal as an “orchestrated nightmare.” She urged the administration not to offer excuses but to provide the truth.

Coral Briseno, the mother of Marine Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, another service member who lost his life in the same attack, emphasized the need for the administration to apologize for the decisions that led to the tragic loss of their children.

Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, has called on the White House to be more forthcoming with information for these grieving families. He stated on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the families hold a unique position to demand answers, making it difficult for the administration to deny their requests.

In April, the White House released a report assigning a significant portion of the blame for the chaotic withdrawal to former President Donald Trump. It outlined how Biden faced constraints stemming from Trump’s foreign policy decisions regarding dealings with the Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021. However, the report also acknowledged that the withdrawal should have been executed more swiftly and that the administration had underestimated the speed of the Taliban’s takeover.

On the second anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden paid tribute to the 13 American service members and more than 100 innocent Afghan civilians killed in the terrorist attack, expressing their remembrance and mourning.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the withdrawal on CNN’s “State of the Union,” stating that the administration is committed to drawing lessons from the experience. He noted that the president faced a challenging but crucial decision to end America’s longest war, spanning 20 years. The goal is to ensure that future generations do not have to go to Afghanistan to fight and make the necessary adjustments to uphold the sacrifices made by the loved ones of those who served.

Blinken stressed that a comprehensive review would be conducted to assess all aspects of the decisions made during the withdrawal and ensure that justice is served in honor of the sacrifices of these servicemembers.